Aaron followed a trail of dead monsters with morbid curiosity. Someone or something had made it out of the prison before them. Which peeved Aaron a bit. He was supposed to be the best thief in the world; his pride wouldn’t allow him to accept that someone had managed to escape faster than him. For that reason, he was running under the assumption that it was a guard who deserted their post, not a prisoner. It would certainly make the swiss cheese-shaped holes in the monsters make more sense.

“Do you hear that?” Tony asked. Aaron listened carefully. In the distance, he could hear the faint sound of an engine roaring to life.

“Shit! Someone is taking our ride out of here.” Aaron sprinted down the dirt road, using his enhanced body to move faster than ever before. The ground practically disappeared under his feet. He crested a small hill, bringing the ocean into view. It was beautiful. There was only one problem: guards were loading into the meager amount of boats stationed at the dock like their lives depended on it.

It probably did. Staying on an island with dangerous aliens wasn't conducive to long-term health. He crouched down, trying to stay out of sight.

Tony gasped for air as he climbed to the top of the hill. “Why did you stop?”

He pointed to the pier that was at most a hundred feet away. “They’d just shoot us if we came any closer. There’s no point in sprinting down there.”

“They’d shoot me, but they’d let you on the boat. You’d blend right in with your guard uniform.”

“That would mean leaving you; I promised to get you off this island.” Tony was right. It would have been easy to slip onto one of the boats unnoticed. A part of him wanted to leave the old man behind. He wanted nothing more than to be free. However, he knew he couldn’t follow through on that impulse, no matter how attractive it may be.

He watched as the small motorboats slowly pulled away from the island. The easy way off the island was gone. Fortunately, he had a plan for this situation. It wasn’t a good plan, but it was a course of action he could take immediately. He smiled. “The island is only a mile and a half off the mainland; we can just swim.”

They walked down the hill - towards the dock. “Aren’t there sharks in the water?”

He took the moment of relative peace to enjoy the warm sun and the salty ocean air. It was nice to be outside after being locked up for so long. “That’s just a myth, I think.”

The earth shook once more, this time more intensely than the last. In the distance, the walls of the prison shook, spreading hairline cracks through its structure. Before any serious damage happened, the shaking stopped. The System had said to expect minor weather disturbances; he thought that meant light rain, not constant earthquakes.

They stopped walking at the edge of the dock, easily a hundred feet into the ocean. Aaron took off his shoes and pants. The water was choppy, but it looked swimmable.

“What are you doing?” Tony said, his hand covering his eyes.

Aaron tied off the legs of his pants. “Making a life vest.”

“No, I meant, why are you wearing that abomination?” Tony pointed at Aaron’s stylized boxers with cartoon pizza slices on them.

“What? They’re manly. They give me a psychological edge.” Aaron tossed him the makeshift life vest. “Put it over your head and dunk the opening into the water. The air can’t escape through the water.”

Tony reluctantly put it on, then motioned for Aaron to hop in. “You go first. I don’t want to get eaten by a shark.”

“I didn’t know you were so afraid of sharks.” Aaron shot him a smug grin, then jumped into the water. He swam a bit deeper into the sea, relishing in the ease with which he glided through the water. His strength had almost doubled, but his weight had remained the same. This combination resulted in an even more drastic increase in agility than he had expected. “It’s perfectly safe,” he said as he waved back to the old man.

Tony cautiously dipped a single toe into the water. “Fine,” he grumbled. He ran through a series of stretches and prepared to jump in. However, a gunshot in the distance froze him in place.

Aaron turned, a wave of adrenaline rushing through his veins. If he squinted his eyes, he could see the guards shooting at something in the water, but from his position; he couldn’t see what exactly.

“Kid, get out of there. There are monsters in the water.” His heart rate sped up. He was stuck, alone in a sea of monsters. He pumped his arms as fast as he could, swimming back to the dock at record speeds. However, he wasn’t fast enough. It was too late to escape without a fight. A wrinkled appendage grabbed at his leg, tugging him underwater. All he had time to do was take one gasp of air before he was dragged under.

The saltwater stung his eyes, but he forced them open. He had to see what he was dealing with. He followed the long black tentacle that was wrapped around his leg back to its source.

Bonemaw Octopus Lvl 9

At its center, the tentacles connected to the heart of the beast, a thick black ball of flesh, with only one defining feature: a large mouth creased in an ugly smile. Contained within its maw were hundreds of razor-sharp teeth, gnashing at the bit to take a bite out of him. Each second, the monster dragged him deeper under the surface. No amount of tugging could free his leg from the beast - its grip was absolute.

Not wanting to get eaten by quite possibly the ugliest creature in existence, Aaron fired a Mana Bolt at its mouth. The attack pushed thick currents of water out of its way to reach the beast, in the process slowing it immensely. By the time it reached the monster's core, it had lost almost all of its power. One of the Octopus’s eight tentacles swatted the Mana Bolt away, rendering it harmless.

Shit. Mana Bolt was the magical equivalent of throwing a rock at someone. Without any speed behind it; it simply didn’t have the blunt force necessary to do any serious damage.

His lungs burned with the need to breathe. Even more intense than the pain in his lungs, a deep anger burned within him - a refusal to die. If this monster is going to eat me, I’m going to take a bite out of it first.

Aaron’s eyes gleamed as he grabbed ahold of the tentacle. Let’s see how you like getting eaten alive. He sank his teeth into the tentacle, cutting into its chewy flesh. Disgusting black blood flooded his mouth, but he ignored it and continued to eat away at the limb. Bite after bite, he tore away chunks of flesh.

The octopus vibrated in pain and let go of his leg, but he didn’t stop. He wanted revenge. In response, the monster whipped its tentacle back and forth in a bid to dislodge him. He held on for dear life. Its long appendage brought him within feet of the surface - all he had to do was let go. On the next up-swing, he let himself be flung towards the surface. The monster threw him with such force that he burst through the water into the air. He tumbled twice, then landed in an awkward belly flop.

He took a series of deep breaths, forcing as much air as possible into his lungs. He couldn’t have been underwater for more than thirty seconds, but he was still exhausted. Plus, he felt like he could throw up at any moment. Raw octopus and saltwater weren’t the best of combinations. Beneath the surface, he could see the Bonemaw Octopus readying itself for another attack.

He was at most ten seconds of swimming away from the dock. In the water, that was an eternity. He swam with all he had - it wasn’t enough. Ten feet away from the dock, a tentacle latched onto his leg once again.

“Kid, catch.” Tony threw him a sharp piece of wood that he had broken off of the dock. He firmly gripped the stake as he was dragged underwater. It was his only weapon. Biting the monster had annoyed it, but it didn’t do any real damage. He could bite till his jaw fell off, and the monster would still be alive.

As he was pulled closer to its maw, he repeatedly stabbed the stake into its tentacle, cutting out chunks of flesh. However, that strategy was soon countered. The octopus snaked one of its other appendages through the water, and grabbed ahold of his arm, stopping him from attacking. In the ocean, he was no match for the beast.

He struggled wildly in its grip, burning through his oxygen. He twisted in its grasp and kicked the tentacle; it didn’t let him go. He fired a close-range Mana Bolt at the tentacle holding his arm. It didn’t let go. The attack simply lacked the power to be effective underwater. He returned to tearing chunks out of the beast with his mouth. However, this time it didn’t let go. It only served to enrage the monster.

A thick tentacle slammed into his chest, knocking the air out of his lungs. A rapid rush of bubbles involuntarily left his mouth. Only 15 seconds had passed, and he already felt out of breath.

Instead of immediately eating him, the beast pulled him to the bottom of the ocean and used its long tentacles to slam him against the seafloor. The impact forced a bit more oxygen out of his lungs, bringing him closer to unconsciousness. The monster pulled him up, winding up for another slam.

He had tried everything; his current self wasn’t strong enough to win this fight. Luckily, he had a way of surpassing his current limits. He opened the [Skill Paths] screen.

Barrage 1 (0/5): Two is better than one. For a slightly increased mana cost, send out two mana bolts at once. Resistance 1 (0/5): A strong defense is the best offense. Slightly increased resistance against foreign mana. Moderately increase resistance against your own mana bolts.

Power 1 (0/5): Break through your obstacles. There’s no need for strategy when brute force will suffice. Moderately increases Mana Bolt’s damage.

Minor Metamagic 1 (3/10): Even the biggest of changes start small. Allows the user to change the color, brightness and make other minor alterations to Mana Bolt for a slight mana cost.

He had 12 points, enough to complete two paths. The choice was pretty obvious; only two would help him escape. He finished the Power 1 path, earning 3 points in Magic and 2 in Strength. Once he completed the path, another screen popped up.

Congratulations! Power 1 path completed: The revolving door of possibility opens and shuts at seemingly random - at times, leaving the righteous forgotten and rewarding the cruel. However, with enough power, you can force open any door and forge your own path. By taking the first step down this path, your mana density has infinitesimally increased. Mana Bolt damage moderately increased.

Power surged through his veins, boosting his magic to new heights. However, he didn’t have time to enjoy the feeling for too long. Once more, the Bonemaw Octopus slammed him against the ocean floor. The water blunted the impact, but it still hurt. He did his best to remain calm as the monster raised him up, preparing to slam him to the ground again. He needed to conserve as much air as possible.

He finished the Minor Metamagic 1 path, earning 7 more points in his Magic Stat. As soon as he finished the path, knowledge poured into his mind like a river. Suddenly, he knew how to modify Mana Bolt. According to the System, emotion, willpower, and a clear image of the desired result would be the keys to his success.

Congratulations! Minor Metamagic path completed. A world of infinite possibility is now open to you. Try not to get lost in it; the depths of mana can consume even the strongest minds.

As he was dragged through the water, he wrestled with Mana Bolt, trying to force it to change to suit his purposes. He needed something sharp, something sharp enough to cut through the monster’s thick tentacles. A clear image formed in his mind - a Mana Bolt compressed till it was almost flat, its edges razor sharp. He activated Mana Bolt. Energy slowly collected in his hand, forming complex structures that were previously invisible to him. Halfway through the process, the skill rebelled against him, unwilling to make such a large change. A lumpy blob of mana lazily exited his hand, accomplishing nothing.

Congratulations! Mana Bolt Lvl 11→12. 1 Skill Point Awarded.

To make matters worse, the monster slammed him to the ground for the third time. This time, his head squarely knocked into a rock, bringing darkness to the corners of his vision. He floated limply for a moment in a total daze, his body refusing to listen to his demands. In this half-conscious state, something spoke to him; whether it was his subconscious or a vestige of a distant memory, he was unsure.

You're just going to give up?

His vision blurred, and he found himself in the garage of his childhood home, working tirelessly to accomplish his dream. Hours upon hours of pouring over old manuals. Declining invitations to hang out with friends to practice his skills. Days spent casing buildings. Long minutes spent creeping through the dead of night, a hair's breadth away from discovery. These experiences made him who he was.

He was the self-proclaimed best thief in the world; escaping tough situations was practically half the job. He’d didn’t deserve to live if he couldn’t get away from a stupid octopus. His lungs screamed, feeling like they would burst, but he ignored them. His focus narrowed to a single point; the thousands of background functions his subconscious mind performed stopped. Every ounce of his being focused on shaping Mana Bolt to his will.

He pictured the same razor-sharp disk in his mind. Mana flowed into the skill like a bottomless pit. Complex lattices of Mana formed, robust and thick - capable of withstanding the clumsiest of uses. Just like last time, the skill rebelled against him, its entire structure shaking ominously. However, this time his will was focused. He had but one desire, to escape the Bonemaw Octopus.

The unrelenting will of a dying man fought against the bounds of the system. It wasn’t enough. Slowly, cracks began to form at the edges of the Mana Structure. Like a gentle breeze on a hot summer’s day, the will of a man with a dream mended the cracks in the structure. Channeling every hope for his future, he barely held the skill together.

Something clicked, and the skill solidified. At his command, razor-sharp blades of Mana cut through the limbs of the beast like butter. In this state of mind, everything was so simple. The world seemed to move in slow motion. Like a conductor of an orchestra, he manipulated his mana, pouring every last drop of it into the skill. The saws of neon blue mana churned through the water, cutting off four of the monster’s limbs and scarring its core. Before he could finish the Bonemaw Octopus, it swam away.

Congratulations! Mana Bolt Lvl 12→27. 15 Skill Points Awarded.

His state of enhanced perception fell away and was replaced with a soul-rending headache, but that was the least of his concerns. His body felt heavy and unresponsive; it was a struggle to even lift an arm. His vision blurred, descending deeper into the tunnel of darkness. Even though the surface was only twenty feet above him, he didn’t know if he could make it. He forced his aching body into action, using the last dregs of oxygen in his lungs to rise to the surface.

About halfway, his lungs spasmed, driving him deeper into the tunnel of darkness. He persisted. Just as he was about to lose consciousness, a fat Italian angel dove into the water and rescued him.